Civil servants urge Moriarty tribunal to recall Dukes

The former Fine Gael leader may be asked to clarify evidence he gave in 2004

Civil servants who ran the first public competition for a mobile phone licence in Ireland are calling for Alan Dukes, the former Fine Gael leader, to be recalled to give evidence to the Moriarty tribunal.

Some of the officials, who have reacted angrily to certain provisional findings made by the tribunal, want Dukes to be asked to re-appear in order to clarify evidence he gave in 2004.

Dukes has testified about information he was given by officials when he took over as minister for communications in 1996 following Michael Lowry's resignation. At that stage a licence had been awarded to Denis O'Brien's Esat Digifone for the second mobile licence.

Members of the project team have threatened to seek a judicial review against the Moriarty tribunal if the government fails to have certain provisional findings overturned.

The Sunday Times is prevented by a court injunction from detailing the preliminary findings, but